A very long paragraph concerning treatment of musicians-

[Ramar]

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS ARE LONG, BUT PLEASE READ THEM!    

     My brother has been the church musician for my church for almost 5 years.  When he first started playing the piano, he was criticized so badly that he just wanted to give up. As a matter of fact, he wasn't even allowed to play or even go near the church piano. he had to bring his own keyboard. he had every mother and member of the church watching him to make sure he didn't touch the piano. he was so bad that the church hired unsaved people from the streets to play.  However, he didn't give up, but continued to practice because music was in his heart.  As time went by, the anointing came upon him and now he plays much, much better, and the church is starting to recognize it.  God brought him up quick because most people take much longer to get to the level that God brought him to. He has been more faithful(and stayed longer) than any other musician that used to play.  He goes to all of the rehearsals, and makes it early each Sunday morning for church. The previous musicians came to church whenever they felt like it and didn't even stay for the whole service.
   
      They are gone now, and my brother is the only musician.  He has been the only musician for 3 years(the other musicians didn't even stay one year) yet he only gets paid $30.00 a Sunday.  The previous musicians got $100.00 just for coming on Sunday.  My brother is much better than them and he only gets $30.00 and sometimes nothing.  Now that he's 18 and has a job, they don't want him to work, because they need him at rehearsals and on Sundays. Yet, they have not offered to go past the $30.00 limit.  I feel that if they are going to keep him from working, they need to pay him more because compared to what most musicians make around his age he gets nothing. He doesn't play for money, but this fact alone discourages him. He doesn't even play with as much as excitement as he used to because he feels less than what he really is.  The church loves to hear him now, and expects him to be there at all times, but they don't appreciate him.  He works to help us and for personal expenses, but the church says that his job is at the church.  Other churches have offered to pay him as much as $150.00 a Sunday, and he doesn't want to leave his church, but he has often talked about quitting the piano and going back to being a regular member of the church, like he was before he started playing the piano.  He needs encouragement.

[TLJACKSON]

This story sounds like the same story I use to deal with wy back.  But all you and your brother need to do is let go and let God.  Let the Lord take care of this situation.  All will be fine if you just let the Lord take care of it.  And tell your brother to PLEASE don't quit playing the piano.  It will pay off in the long run....  Jesus Loves You and continue to trust in Him.  He will not fail you.

I was in the similar situation. If I would have given up, I wouldn't be where I am today. I say pray with your brother and God will do the rest. Only God knows the answer.
Sometimes it get frustrating to keep going and we all want to give up. I too felt like just quitting. There is this small voice of God comes to me and say "Just hold on everything is going to workout".
You have to keep going no matter what. There are going to be church members who always have something to say. I just learned to turn my head and keep playing.  
Please tell your brother to never give up. People are going to say all kinds of things to you to upset you. He must learn to keep focus and do what God wants him to do, not what people want him to do.
Now about the 30 dollars, I would say go to the pastor. Tell the pastor  how he feels. The pastor should understand and pay him more money.

I will keep you and your brother in my prayers.

KEEP ON KEEPIN ON

Blessing to you
Sharon

[Mysteryman]

I been threw somewhat the similar situtaions to this. Your brother is going to have to take a stand. If they dont want to pay him he's just going to have to go to work and go to church when he can. People dont realize our lives change over time. Your brother has a choice to just be miserable or make a change. I resigned from my church in January for different reasons. One reason is that the choir depended too much on me and over looked the other musicians. The church was only paying me and not the other musicians. I split my money with one of the other musicians that played. I decided there are things I want to do in life with church musican and our music department was not headed in that direction. Some people act like you are going to be cursed or out of God's will. I was getting like your brother and lossing the passion in my playing but since I stopped playing for the choir I'm gaining it back.  Just like I said in an earlier post the worse place your brother could be in is to look back and say I wish I would have done this or that.

[BBoy]

My goodness . . . what will and determination the boy has had. God is so good . . . He gave the boy the desire of his heart, to play for Him!

Now, it seems to me that there are two things going on here. The way the church is treating him, and how he responds. Without knowing both sides of the issue, it is really not possible to make sound comment other than this: We are not responsibile for what other people do, only for what we do. The people are going to have to search their hearts and be certain that they are treating the young man right. If they aren't . . . DON'T LOSE YOUR PEACE TRYING TO MAKE THEM. Just pray, play for God however you are being led, and release the situation to GOD.

Now to the young man who is playing so well . . . God blessed you because you didn't give up. Why give up now? You are blessing people. Now, all of us here know what it is like to feel like giving up, so let's stop with the hollow phrases as if other people are so weak for wanting to give up from time to time. Even David wanted the wings of a dove to get away from the stresses of people.  :roll: I KNOW I have, and I won't lie and tell anyone different. But please don't . . . God will bless you so richly.

So number one: Keep God first. He began a good work in you, and He will be faithful to complete it! You have seen the silliness of the human flesh at an early age . . . don't let it deter you. Yes, yesterday you were not to touch the piano, today you are not to move off it  :roll: See how silly humans can be? Just love them and learn to laugh at what they do sometimes.  :lol:  

Number Two: Continue to share your hurts and pains with those who love you and care about you. This will keep you from getting bitter. Can I share a secret? Some of the best music was written out of a pained heart  :wink: . . . who knows, you may be on your way to being a song-writer!

Number Three: Send us your work, little brother! We love to learn from musicians such as yourself. Turn the devil into a liar by sowing your gift into others lives . . . and watch God work!

We're praying for you . . . Be Blessed! BBoy  

[jayjay]

I don't know if leaving the situation is in God's will.  "The Passion" showed us that sometimes we may be called to suffer in order to accomplish the will of God.  I think what's really going on here is that people rarely show the local guy any real love.  They want to enjoy the goodies, but don't want to pay for it.  Some people honestly think that church workers are to donate their time or recieve just enough to stay in poverty.  Being a church musician is WORK.  The one way that people will start to respect us and our profession is when we start to respect it more and not take less than, which sends the message that it is OK to give us a penny for a dollars worth of work.  We in the church need to grow up and realize that receiving compensation for service render to the body of Christ is not evil.  What's evil is a church body that is complacent to allow some one with your bother's  on going development to make less money than I made in 1978 when I first started playing. A church job should not be that much different than any other job. As one improves in job performance- money, responsibilty and authority should reflect that.  it's really sad that if your brother were on a regular job- He would know exactly what to do, but because it's the church, we feel that we will fall out of God's will to seek, or when offered to accept a better opportunity.  Somehow we all have been taught that if you are serving in the church and being "dogged" then some how we are living a humble authentic christian life.and he'll be blest if stay and take it like a man.  Again, I'm not saying that he should leave, because that's a personal decision only he can make with prayerful consultation with God.  I do think it's time for the church to "man up" and take care of the business or set your brother free to expand His horizons, just my two cents.  Stay focused and blest.

[Bronzee]

Ramar, its a sad story to hear and most musicians have been depreciated in one way or another and its not a good feeling, but a feeling of tormenting pain.  Be encourage you and your brother, some so call church folks can be more cruel as the people out there walking around not professing they they aren't chirstains.  Tell you brother to keep playing even if he has to play for a nusing home or some other place and just volunteer to play elsewhere.  People know that musician has to eat just like or people in the church..tell him to work if and when the time comes..its a shame that the church will go out and hired other musicians and a member that is faithful and dedicated in the music field and they seems to look over and enorge his needs too..and reduce his sum to that..but be like the faithful vinyard and God will give you whatever is right..if u have to work another job and go to another church to receive a salary cause u don't want to work a job that you are unhappy with do this and when the member and pastors miss you maybe they will see the light. One of our musician at our church had to go and play at another church cause he had a family to take care of and our church hired another musician from another area much much more..don't ask me why the churches do something like that..its just as silly and backwards as it can be to me..u hire a person because they are faithful already..and not just because they are there just to receive a salary.  Anyway, I done this way..i gotten so discourage..I was oppressed and depress for a long term time..please don't get this way..thats all the enemy wants..i just play at home and have a good rejoicing time.  I let people think what they want now..music gives me joy and when its tooken away from me..a part of me just die. Life is isn't fare.